Combined closure and powder ejector



Dec. 14; 1937. w. c," HEATLIE 2,102,1-18

COMBINED CLOSURE AND POWDER EJECTOR Filel Feb. 4, 1957 Patented Dec. 14, 19.37

` UNITED STATES PATENTl ori-'ICE coMlNEn cLosUnE AND POWDER d nJEc'ron This invention relates to an improved closure and powder ejecting device constituting an attachment for a container in which tooth powder and the like 'are sold, and oneobject o f the in- 6 vention is to provide a device of this character including a closure'plate slidably mounted inL order that an opening formed in the plate may be shifted into and out of registry-with a discharge opening in the top ofthe container, a tongue being provided along one edge of the opening in the plate so that, as the plate is shifted into position to move its opening into registry vwith the' discharge opening of the container, powder will be moved towards the discharge opening of the container for passage through the same. It will thus be seen that a supply of powder may be deposited 'directly upon la tooth brush instead of shaking the can to eject powder therefrom ontothe palm of a persons hand and then removing the powder 20' by applying a damp tooth brush to itV whichis a very unsanitary manner of applying tooth powder to the brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved spring meansfor yieldably holding the closure plate in closing relation to the discharge opening of the container top or head and in addition to so form the 'spring that it serves not only as a spring for yieldably holding the plate in a normal position but as a barrier which will extend along the discharge opening of the contain'er at the opposite side thereof from the tongue carried by the plate and thus prevent the powder from being moved across the discharge opening.l

Y instead of passing through the discharge opening when the plate is moved in a direction to dispose its opening in registry with the discharge opening. Another object of the invention is to so form the spring that it will be iirmly'held in operative engagement with a tongue of the closure plate and to so mount the spring in the container that. while the closure plate can be very easily moved into or out of an opened position, the spring will be lprevented from slipping out of its proper position in the container.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the powder container provided with the improved closure and Y powder discharge device,

Figure 2 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3is a. sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

d The container I has been shown of cylindrical 55' formation but it may be of any cross 'sectional' outline desired and may also beoi any desired dimensions. The upper portion 2 of the container is tapered towards its upper end and joined to a cap or head 3 having its upper wall 4 iiat and formed with a discharge opening 5 through which 5 powder in the container is to passwhen-the container is disposed in an inverted position. A closure plate 6 formed of sti metal or any other desired material ts against the inner- Iace of the wall 4 and is provided at one side with an i0 actuating arm slidably engaged through an opening 8 formed in the peripheral wall of the cap, as clearly shown inv Figures 1 and 3. The outer end of this actuating arm is bent to provide an abutment head or ange 9 serving to limit inward 15 movement of the closure plate by engagement with the outer face of the annular wall of the`cap and also providing a at-nger-engaging portion against which pressure may be applied to force the place inwardly without bruising the thumb or 20' finger applied to the outer end of the actuating arm. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it will b e seen that a tongue I0 has been stamped from the plate 8 and bent inwardly to provide a powder ejecting member extending diagonally from the plate 25 along the marginal side edge oi. an opening Il formed when the tongue is bent to the depending position. This opening Il is out of registry with the opening 5 when the plate is in the position shown in Figures 2 and -3 but when pressure is 30 applied to the outer end of the arm I to force i the arm inwardly until the abutment tongue VEl makes contact with the peripheral wall of the cap, the opening II will be moved into registry with the opening 5 and the tongue Ill will serve to 35 carry powder in front of it towards the opening 5 and thus feed a quantity of powder through the discharge opening of the cap.

The closure plate is to be normally held in the closing position shown in Figures 2 and 3, and in 40 order to yieldably hold ,the plate in this closing position, there has been provided a spring l2 formed from 'a strip of resilient metal. This strip of resilient metal is bent in spaced relation to one end to provide a bridging bar I3 having an arm 45 III extending therefrom and is then bent to provide a second bar l5 disposed in opposed and spaced relation to the bar I3 and having bowed portions I6, the adjoining or adjacent ends oi' which are connected by a bridge I1. Atthe op- 50 positeend of the spring from the arm I4, the resilient strip is bent to form an arm I8 corresponding to the arm I4 and terminating in an inwardly extending tongue I 9 which is overlapped by the bridging bar I3. It will thus be seen that 55 and provided with arms Il and I8 at its ends which are seated in sockets 2n stamped outwardly from the annular wall of the cap at opposite sides thereof. A billor tongue ZI extends from the plate 8 at the opposite side thereof from the actuating arm or strip 1 and this tongue 2| fits between the inner ends of the bowed portions I6 of the springs against the bridging portion I1 and terminates in a lip 22 which overlaps the bridge I1. Therefore, tension of the bowed portions I 6 will yieldably hold the closure plate in the closing position shown in Figures 2 and 3 and return it to this position after the plate has been moved to dispose its opening II in registry with the opening i and a finger or thumb removed `from the outer end of the actuating arm 1. The lip 22 maintains the tongue 2| and the bridge I1 in proper engagement with each other and since the arm Il is formed integral with one end of the bar I3 and the tongue Il is overlapped by the other end of the bridging bar I3, the arms Il and Il will be firmly seated in the sockets 20 and prevented from slipping out of the sockets when pressureis applied to the outer end of the arm 1 to shift the plate l inwardly and dispose its opening in registrywith the discharge opening of the cap. It should also be noted that the bridging bar I3 extends along a side edge of the opening 5 at the opposite side thereof from the tongue I0 and that, when the plate G is shifted inwardly, the tongue I0 moves towards the bridging bar. Therefore, this bridging bar constitutes a barrier extending along the discharge opening 5 at the opposite side thereof from the tongue III and any powder between the tongue I l and the opposed portion of the bridging bar will be forced through the opening 5 as the opening II moves into registry with it. The fact that the tongue I0 extends diagonally, as shown clearly in Figure 3, will also aid in directing the powder through the registering openings. Upon release of the actuating arm the bowed portions of the spring will return `the plate to the closing position and air and moisture will be excluded from the container.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A head for a dispensing container having an end wall formed with a discharge opening, a closure plate for said discharge opening disposed against the inner face of the end wall and formed with an opening to register with the discharge opening of said wall, a feeder extending from said plate along its opening at the opposite side edge thereof from the opening in the wall, means for shifting said plate into position to dispose its opening in registry with the opening of the wall and move the feeder towards the opening in the wall for conveying contents of the containerinto position to pass through the registering opening of the wall and plate, and means for yieldably holding 'said plate in closing relation to the opening of the wall having a portion constituting a barrier cooperating withthe feeder for directing material through the registering openings.

2. A head for a dispensing container having a discharge opening formed therein. acl'osure for the discharge opening mounted in the head for movement into and out of closing relation to the opening,.resilient means yieldably holding said closure in closing relation to the discharge opening of the head and having a portion constituting a barrier extending along one side of the discharge opening, and means for feeding material through the discharge opening ot the head oar- 2,102# 18 Y the spring is oi' an elongated and open formation ried by said closure at the opposite side of the opening from the barrier whereby material engaged by the feeding means will be shifted towards the opening and the barrier and directed through the discharge opening when the closure is moved out of closing relation to the opening.

3. In a dispensing container, a head formed with a discharge opening, sockets at opposite sides of the head, a closure plateI for the discharge opening formedwith an opening disposed to register with the discharge opening when the plate is moved out of closing relation thereto, a spring for yieldably holding said plate in `its closing positionengaged with the plate and having end portions seated in said sockets and a bridge extending between the sockets acro the plate, and a tongue for feeding material through the openings of the plate and head carried by the plate at the opposite side of its opening from said bridge and having movement towards the bridge when the'plate is shifted out of closing relation to the discharge opening of the head.

4. In a dispensing container, a head formed witha discharge opening, a closure plate for the discharge opening formed with an opening disposed to register with the discharge opening when the vplate is moved out of closing relation to the discharge opening, a tongue carried by said plate f or feeding material through the openings when the openings are in registry with each other, and

resilient means for yieldably holding the plate in the closing position having a portion disposed in confronting relation to said tongue and constituting a barrier cooperating with the tongue for directing material through the registering openings.

5. In a dispensing container, a head formed with a ,discharge opening, a closure plate-for the discharge opening movable into and out of closing relation thereto and formed with an opening to register with the discharge opening when the plate is moved out of a closing position, a tongue extending from said plate along one side of the opening for directing material through the openings of the plate and head when the openings are in registry, a bill carried by said plate, and resilient means for yieldably holding the plate in the closing position carried by vsaid head and including a bridging bar extending across said plate adjacent a side edge of the discharge opening of the head in confronting relation to the tongue and cooperating with the tongue for directing material through the registering opening,v saidV resilient means having bowed portions at opposite sides of said bill united by a bridging portion engaging the bill and yieldably resisting movement of the plate in the opening direction.

6. In a di containerfa head formed with a discharge opening. a closure plate for the discharge opening formed with an opening disposed to register with the discharge opening oi' theI head when the plate is moved out of closing relation thereto, an actuating arm extending from said plate through the head and having its outer end portion bent to provide'a tongue constituting a finger-engaging element and serving as an abutment to make contact with the head and limit movement of the plate when the arm is forced inwardly to shift the plate out of the closing position, a bill extending from the inner end of the plate, sockets at opposite sides of said head, a spring formed from a strip of resilient material bent to provide side bars and end bars connecting the side bars, said end bars -being seated in said sockets and one side bar constituting a bridge extending across said plate to slidably support the plate, the other side bar being bent to provide bowed portions at opposite sides of the bili and a portion connecting the bowed portion and engaged across the bili whereby movement of the plate out of a closingposition will be yieldably resisted by the bowed portions, and a tongue extending from said plate along the opposite side of its opening from 'the discharge opening of the Alo head and said bridging bar, said tongue extending diagonally fromthe plate in the direction of the bridging bar and cooperating therewith for directing material through openings of the plate .and head when the said openings are in registry.

7. A head for a dispensing container having van end wall provided with a discharge opening,A a closure plate in contact with the inner face of said end wall and having anopening to register with said discharge opening. Said openings being normally out of register, means whereby said plate may be moved forward to .register said openings, a forwardly and downwardly extending .tongue projecting from therear edge of said plate opening, and a bridging bar beneath the forward edge of the discharge opening extending y across the plate in supporting relation thereto and constituting a barrier disposed in the path of said tongue in its forward movement for cooperating with the tongue to direct material through the registering openings.

' 8. A head for a dispensing container having an end wall provided with a discharge opening, a slidable closure plate in contact with ythe er face of said end wall and having an opening to register with said discharge opening, said openings being normally lout of register, means where-i by said plate may be moved forward to register said openings, a forwardiy and downwardly eritending tongue projecting from the rear edge of said plate opening, and a bridging bar beneath the forward edge of the discharge opening serving as a support for'the plate and constituting a barrier disposed in the path of said tongue in its forward movement for cooperating with the tongue to direct material through the registering openings.

9. A head for a dispensing container having an end wall provided with a discharge opening, Ya. closure plate in contact with the inner face of said end wall and having an opening to register with said discharge opening, said openings being normally out of register, means whereby said plate mayv be moved forward to register said openings, a forwardly and downwardly extending tongue projecting from the rear edge of said plate opening, and a yielding bridging bar beneath the forward edge of said discharge opening and in the path of said tongue in its forward movement.

i0. A head for a dispensing container having au end wall provided with a discharge opening, a closure plate in contact with the inner face of said end wairand having an opening to register with side discharge opening, said openings being normally out of register, means whereby said. plate'may be moved to register both openings, a cross bar in said head beneath the 'forward edge of said u e opening and extending transversely across the under face of the plate for supporting said plate, and means on said plate adapted inits forward movement to force material toward said bar and cooperate with the bar for forcing the material outwardly through said openingsn when in register. 

